A Reply to Frances Harrison of the Huffington Post.Posted on November 19th, 2012

By Charles.S.Perera

In an article to the Huffington Post of the 16 November,2012 Frances Harrison asks, ” What if the UN Had Spoken Out on Sri Lanka ?” The article is to blame UN for suppressing the information it is supposed to have had about 50,000 casualties in a war off limit to journalists and asks if today the United Nations had informed the receipt of such unconfirmed reports “ wouldn’t the world take notice of it ?”

What would have happened ? We know what happened in Libya . We have seen in Libya what happened when the “world took notice and tried to stop the killings.” That taking notice ended up in what the NATO said the ” most successful operation in NATO History.”

“Writing back in September, Thomas C. Mountain, an independent journalist currently living in Africa who was a member of the 1st US Peace Delegation to Libya in 1987, estimated that NATO had dropped over 30,000 bombs on Libya, with an average of “two civilians killed in each attack.” Thus, Mountain has estimated that some 60,000 Libyan civilians had been killed by NATO air strikes alone by the end of August. Shortly thereafter, when rebel forces began the siege of Sirte, Moussa Ibrahim, a spokesman for the now-deceased Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, told Reuters via telephone on September 19 that “in the last 17 days, more than 2,000 residents of the city of Sirte were killed in NATO air strikes.” As of today, some 26,000 NATO sorties and 9,600 strike missions have been conducted by NATO, with an average of four bombs used per attack. “Though it may never be known just how many died in “the most successful operation in NATO history,” the alliance has shown little interest in rebuilding a nation that has in many ways been wrecked by its seven-month military campaign. “

According to Palestinian human rights activist Shawan Jabarin, “The military operation damaged everything in Libya, not just Gaddafi and his regime, but the society [as well].”

After some 8,000 bombing raids, with estimates of 4 bombs used per attack NATO has already dropped over 30,000 bombs on Libya. That’s almost 200 bombs per day for 6 months, some tens of thousands of tons of high explosives. With an estimated 2 Libyans killed per bomb and without a single NATO casualty the Western regimes have massacred over 60,000 Libyans in the past half year with the rebels themselves having said there have been 50,000 Libyan deaths. One hell of a humanitarian intervention isn’t it? (http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/09/02/30000-bombs-over-libya/)

Frances Harrison that is how the ” world took notice” in Libya when a group of Libyans in Benghazi manifested against the Colonel Gaddafi . It was not really the world but it was the “leaders of the powerful nations” that took notice of it and went all out to not only assassinate Colonel Gaddafi but also kill large numbers of civilians including women and children. After that NATO’s most successful bombardments in its history what remained of Libyan cities and villagers were rubble of buildings, and houses where once people lived.

It would have been exactly what would have happened to Sri Lanka “if the world took notice and tried to stop the killings.” The UN Secretary General having had experience of knowing how the West reacts to such notification may have deliberately suppressed the information without allowing the Western Nations to send its NATO Forces to turn Sri Lanka into rubble with civilian deaths put off as collateral damage.

There would not have been the Human Rights watch , the Amnesty international, International Crisis Group and the UNHRC that would have got involved to intervene but just the NATO bombardments. Frances Harrison aught to be naƒÆ’†’¯f , not to understand that eventuality.

Frances Harrison , today UNO is just a label, there are other Organisations and Agencies that have usurped the original UNO. What remains is an empty shell just bearing its name. After the Swedish Secretary General of UNO Dag Hammarskjold, the next European who held the position was Austrian Kurt Waldheim, and after him no Western man has headed the UNO.

Since then the Western countries were disrespectful to the UNO, and gradually it lost its importance as an International Organisation to keep war at bay, making it a forum for the dissenting nations to meet and settle their disputes in dialogue rather than resorting to war. George Bush just walked over the UNO and declared war against Iraq waving tampered documents claiming Iraq has stock piles of weapons of mass destruction. In like fashion France, USA, UK and their allies gave false assertion of surveying the airspace over Libya and got the NATO Forces to Bomb Libya.

Frances Harrison has not written anything about Syria. Syrian war continues because the western countries arm the rebels against the Armies of Al Asad like they did in Libya. Fortunately Sri Lanka escaped such a dire end. The West including people like Frances Harrison regret that lost opportunity to get the NATO to bombard Sri Lanka and arm the “rebels under Prabhakaran” against the Government.

For Frances Harrison it is the question of a leaked document which had been suppressed by the Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. One wonders how many such leaked documents there would be in future. It is really another farce that is being enacted by the West. There had been no leaked documents, but these are reports and information brought out from time to time to discredit a Sovereign State “”…”Sri Lanka which is doing far better than the expectation of the West.

At the moment West is facing a serious political and economic crisis. There greatest fear is the Asian countries piercing through difficult technological and financial barriers to take over the control of the world economy. USA has its part of the unsurmountable difficulties, yet the newly elected President Barrack Obama makes a voyage to Burma of all places. Why not to France which has changed its conservative regime to a Socialist Regime ?

President Obama chooses Burma to spread American influence in an area of the world where China is becoming a super power. America by its hopeful influence in Burma is trying to avert China’s influence in North Korea, which America continues to threaten along with Iran for their nuclear intentions.

Therefore it is understandable that Frances Harrison is made a mere pawn in the hands of the Western big powers to stop Sri Lanka getting further involved with China, allowing China to make use of its politically strategic position. The west is involved in a power game discrediting Sri Lanka and help any dissenting groups like the TNA and anti Sri Lanka pro-terrorist Tamil Diaspora to Balkanize Sri Lanka. Having had lost the opportunity they had to break up Sri Lanka at the last phase of its military operations against the terrorists, the countries Frances Harrison represent now come out with “leaked” documents and numbers killed by the armed forces at the crucial phase of its war against terrorists gradually increased from 7000 to 40 or 50000.

Frances Harrison is getting depressive haunted by the thoughts of what may have happened at the end phase of Sri Lanka war against terrorists. Harrison says, “The document cites the UN’s role in Rwanda, saying some lessons there were not learned and proved relevant to Sri Lanka. Let’s hope they’re learned for Syria, but as the author of a book of survivors’ stories from that war in Sri Lanka I am haunted by the thought of what might have been there.”

Frances Harrison refers to Charles Petrie’s document and very sadly remarks, “Petrie’s report meticulously documents how senior UN officials continuously tried to blame the Tamil Tiger rebels – a proscribed terrorist group – for the killings even while their own international staff told them the Sri Lankan government was responsible for the majority of deaths. It was a bias that has slanted all coverage of the conflict since because it came from such an influential and reliable source – the UN no less. “

Whatever Charlesd Petrie had said UN is making constant errors without having an agenda of its own but serving the agenda of those powerful Western Countries. There are no reliable reports about Sri Lanka from whatever western agencies, journalists or foreign political analysts , not to speak of the squeaking of the BBC, the UK Channel 4 and the likes.

I cannot understand Frances Harrison who is supposed to have written a book of survivors’ stories from that war in Sri Lanka,( apparently there are many who profit from the situation in Sri Lanka to make money writing books for gullible western readers) has not read the report of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission on its records of the breaches of the CFA by the terrorists and the Government, an excerpt from which reads: ” In total 13,026 complaints were filed, most of them in Batticaloa (3815, 29%) and Jaffna (3219, 25%). The vast majority (92%) of the violations were committed by the LTTE “¦.”

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission was a European Group, and they reported from what they had verified and monitored that the majority of the violations against the CFA were committed by the terrorists. How can then those who had no access to the ground situation say, even if they were senior UN Officials that , “the Sri Lankan government was responsible for the majority of deaths.”

In the final stages of the military operations against the terrorists no body could have been counting deaths though Frances Harrison faults the UN officials . There was an exodus of Tamil Civilians held as human shields by the terrorists seeking the safety amoung the Government Military Forces.

Can Frances Harrison understand the dimension of the situation that existed in that no fire zone ? Why cannot Harrison give a modicum of his thoughts to the extreme human kindness of the Armed Forces taking 300000 Tamil Civilians to safety risking their own lives ? Would the soldiers who helped the escapees from the terrorists seeking their protection turn round to shoot at them ?

Frances Harrison any human being has two mental aspects one that appreciates, and the other that condemns. What one observes in these Western do gooders is their weeping for the unknown dead, without turning to understand the living. They readily condemn, but are slow to give credit. If one can look at the problem without getting personally involved then one will realise that there are the inevitable that may happen in war for which the one that fights to destroy the evil cannot be blamed . For terrorism was the evil that, massacred, killed, and maimed a nation’s cherished people, men and women of valour.

Frances Harrison there are many who try to put the Sri Lanka terrorists and the Government Forces on the same footing. This is a most disgusting way of evaluating perpetrators of crime, and those who try to stop its perpetration.

Would you put Al Qaeda who blew up the twin towers killing more than 3000 Americans and the American Navy Seals who killed the unarmed Osma Bin Laden on the same footing ?

Of course you would not”¦ so why do you write accusingly of Ban Ki Moon’s Chef of the cabinet Mr. Vijay Nambiar an intelligent man imploring Navy Pillai to tone down and dilute her statement ? You say “He even complained that her statement put the Tamil Tiger rebels and the government on the same footing.”

Frances Harrison, many are the people who have come forward to accuse Sri Lanka after the elimination of the cancer of terrorism that ate into the fabric of the Sri Lankan Society for three decades . They never came forward before either to sympathise with the government and the people of Sri Lanka, nor to give a hand in its attempt to rid itself of terrorism.

Why do you now after three years come round to look for numbers dead, while the living are seeking to get over the shock of going that long period of suffering to settle down to reconcile with the communities and march together towards progressive development of Sri Lanka ?

Perhaps Frances Harrison does not know how many innocent civilians have been killed by the very nations he represent through out the period of colonisation from Peru to Africa, Vietnam to India, Latin America to Middle East ? What are the numbers the Western countries you represent killed in Vietnam, in Japan , in China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya ?

Frances Harrison you do not represent a saintly crowd of Western countries ? They are and they have been more devilish, ruthless killers, murderers, and assassins ?

The war against terrorists in Sri Lanka was a rightful war against a group of terrorists sprung from amoung the people, and fought within the boundaries of Sri Lanka. It was a clean war . It is the West represented by you who are used to unclean wars , who try to make our war against our terrorist seem unclean.

If there were to be terrorism again in Sri Lanka we will eliminate them the same way we eliminated the LTTE terrorists, and will not allow any one of the countries you represent to interfere asking us to set up monitoring offices.

Frances Harrison, you have worked for the BBC, Amnesty International , but these institutions have no love, they have no sense of justice and fair play. They get reporters to write what they are paid to report . They are reporters without feelings without hearts. Each country has its own cultural values that makes one nation different from another. It is only one who knows and understands another’s culture, that can evaluate the reasons of its actions. The rest are mere spectators trying to understand others from one’s own cultural make up, which is different from that of the other.

This is all about money… Frances is a another women that need money peddling lies… I was told by a Israeli journalist that there are selected western jurno’s working for central propaganda unit from US state govt.

Frances Harrison is on a mission to sell her book, nothing more. There has been a flurry of activity on her part, writing copious articles to various newspapers pretending to care for the dead in Sri Lanka. Well where was she for the past 30 odd years when Sri Lankans were dying left right and centre? Where was her supposed concern for human rights? Has she ever spoken out against the Tamil Tigers and the crimes they committed against all the people of Sri Lanka? Why doesn’t she call for investigations into those who funded that terror machine? She is desperate to demonize Sri Lanka at all available opportunities and at the same time whitewash its history of bloodshed. For shame.

Well said Charles.. ! Well said..! Once in a while these gullible “Chequebook Journalists” need to give a slap on the wrist to expose their hypocrisy, and to expose their soul selling nature. You have done it.. Good job.

This deluded woman is only keen on selling her ‘book’ which only the eelam terrorists would buy. Hence, these crap articles….. The UN waited paitiently when the US/NATO went to Iraq and killed 1 million civilians including kids. No sound from this ‘ex-amnesia international’ member, and ‘ex-bbc’ member: both institutions without any moral credibility.

Quote ” If there were to be terrorism again in Sri Lanka we will eliminate them the same way we eliminated the LTTE terrorists, and will not allow any one of the countries you represent to interfere asking us to set up monitoring offices.”

Thank You….Charles….for that Forcefull Statement….

The Nationalist Government of SL….and the PATRIOTIC people of SL….
will never allow / tolerate….the re-grouping of LTTE & its supporters AGAIN on our Motherland…

Yeah Frances Harrison should go to Gaza, where Isreal is committing warcrimes. I know there are disgracefully many apologists for Isreal on this site like Sirih hey Sirih did you ask your Isreali Journalist about Isreali warcrimes in Gaza being committed right now? I find it disgusting there are Sri Lankans on here who are apologists for Isreal. Isreal just as bad if not worse than US, France and UK. Some really sad people commenting on lankaweb.com.

Sri Lanka was not aware that some Tamil terrorists were also being trained by the…” Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine “…..untill Israel captured a few…handed them over to the SL Government of JRJ…

Israel & Jewish people have NEVER attacked / destroyed any thing related to Buddhism…
that is why the Dalai Lama is a ….Great Friend of Israel….
as for Islam….do a Google scearch…
from the Islamic …murder / rape of 60,000 Buddhist Monks & Nuns…
while looting / burning / destroying…Nalanda Buddhist University…
to the Bahiyman Buddha Statues …blown up a few years back in Afghanistan….
to what is happening today in SL & Bangladesh…
while Buddhist places of worship have to be guarded in Arab Nations & Malaysia & Indonesia…etc…

Israel….sent a ship to pick up….and settled over 1,500 Vietnam “Boat People”….
allowed them to build a Buddhist Temple…
( I went & worshiped there…)
How many Buddhist Temples are in the Arab / Islamic Nations….???

These are some of the reasons….that Sri Lankans support Israel….
“Never Again “…..&…..”Massada will not fall”….

lankawick, excellent comment. We must support Israel and Sinhala must know that there is a Buddhist temple in Tel-Vie.
There are over 20,000 Sri Lankens work there. SL Maids are treated and fed well. Do we have the same with Saudi-Arabia?

My comment is moderated. It contained emails and websites of the above Buddhist centres.

Please refer to buddhanet.info for more than 35 Buddhist centres in Israel.

Ham-ass is doing what Tamil tigers (or asses) did. Hide behind civilian areas and attack Israeli civilians. What else can Israel do than stop them? Tamil tigers hid in Muliyawaikkal, Puthumathalam, Mulaitivu hospitals and fired artillery at us. Should we die like Nalanda monks? NO WAY! They also fired artillery to Weli Oya Sinhala houses from Mulaitivu area. What else could SL have done than stop them?

Ham-ass has also copied Tamilass tactic of bus bombing. 17 people injured, 3 dead in a bus bomb.

What is worse? Calling you a monkey or nailing your body with nails?

Do NOT sympathise with Palestinians (Arabs) without knowing the full facts. Get them to chase away terrorists from their neighbourhoods first.

NO need to take the Israel side either. They are also using extreme violence.

having buddhist temples does not auto qualify Zionists to kill innocent children and getting away with it.

Being indeffernt to your neighbours sorrow will bring trouble to your door.

This is crime Sri Lanka must pursue at UN. Israel is a terrorist country created by and have no hearts but Buddhist temples
Middle path is not indiifernce to crime, who will listen to Bana from a Anglican Terrorist ?

Thanks for the addresses of Buddhist temples in Irael. I think SL MUST take sides, because if you allow Markkalays upper hand it will be the decrementel to SINHALA. Who gave the ok to put up an Turkish Embassy in Colombo? Next Turks will open up cosulates in the Eastern Province. Then what?
Dham, are you a Muslim? what is wrong in helping Israel wipe out all the Palestnians from Gaza strip by ROCKET Attacks and settle Isarelis there?

1. SL MUST take sides
2. what is wrong in helping Israel wipe out all the Palestnians from Gaza strip by ROCKET Attacks and settle Isarelis there

AGREE with the rest. Yes, you are right! But they have their INTERNAL VICIOUS divisions.

IF SL takes sides, local Arabs will rebel. That includes Jihad, Razeek Al Islamiya Group and LeT (these 3 are already working in SL) attacks on Sinhalese and military installations and tourism. We can give them the Nanthikadal treatment WITH PLASURE but we DON’T need this NOW. Israel is a very good friend but, you know how they treat their good friends.

e.g. They used US, UK, Australian passports to do criminal activities.

I know the danger in supporting the TWO STATE SOLUTION for Israel and Palestine. If SL supports a 2 state solution for them, we can’t refuse a 2 state solution to SL and TE.

The day Palestine gets independence will be the day TE, Kurdistan, that Spanish separatist province, etc. get their independence too.

So the Transuxualgovt. of Tamil Elam is very close to Hamass!! They have to. They shared suicide bomber bras during war. Ramsey Clark the broker.

I appluaded the move in a comment for the article thinking that it will give us some US support. But it never happened. I was wrong. Now Hamass and Tamilass have become one and the same. BOTH trying to create mono ethnic homolands.

This is ONE PLAN.

Imagine Gaza becoming a nation. These extremists will control SUEZ canal with their blood relatives in Egypt. Others’ ships will suffer.

Imagine Tamil Elam becoming a nation. They will control Palk strait, Trinco and China/Bangladesh/Burma shipping route with their blood relatives in Tamil Madu. Others’ ships will suffer.

Now imagine BOTH of them coperating!!! SH**!

Too bad it is happening!!

BTW, India recently HAD to arrest Tamil-Islamic terrorists recently heading to Colombo. India didn’t want to but they plan to rock their nuke plant so no choice.

That is why the Hamass’s TOP lawyer is TGTE’s senator. Asses of the same stink, stick together.

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